


Just Some Guy

by Denois



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Comic Y2, Early Relationship, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, New Relationship, allusions to sex but less than canon, just a bunch of fluff, just it's mentioned that it potentially happens at some point in their lives, not even a fade to black, you still can't actually prove that this isn't canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:08:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29856504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denois/pseuds/Denois
Summary: After Nursey suggests setting Dex up with an old friend from high school, Dex comes out to the Frogs. Nursey doesn't even think about it before giving in to the crush he's been hiding and asking Dex out. It turns out better than even he could have hoped.Or, some of Nursey's favorite moments of the first few months of his and Dex's relationship, when he just felt so lucky.
Relationships: Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter
Comments: 8
Kudos: 78





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has been in the making for awhile now. A few months at least. But I'm really happy to have finished it as a final birthday gift from me to everyone out there.
> 
> Huge thank you to [Draskireis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/draskireis). Beta reader, chief enabler, great friend, amazing writer. 
> 
> Fair warning, this is just a bunch of Nursey being very in love with Dex. Dex is also very in love with Nursey, but it's Nursey's pov.

“She does experimental theater and makes all her own clothes. Sick, riiiight?” Nursey grinned at Dex. 

“Wow!” Chris’s input sounded odd. Probably because Chris knew about Nursey’s hopeless crush on their straight friend. 

But it was fine. It was fine. Dex wouldn’t ever be into him and he’d get over it. And he really did think that Dex and Ahngee would have a good time together. They would probably even be good together long term. Sure, at first he’d thought that Dex was just another whack, hyper-privileged, conservative jerk, but well. He’d started paying attention to what Dex was saying and when. And maybe the rest of the guys hadn’t figured it out, but he was pretty sure that it was all a mask to fit what Dex thought hockey players were supposed to be.

Unfortunately, figuring that out had led directly to his unrequitable crush on Dex. But on the other hand, Nursey wouldn’t set Dex up with one of his other friends if he hadn’t realized it. So, he was going to use this knowledge for good, to help Dex be happy. Because Dex deserved to be happy with someone who wouldn’t push him to fit into a toxic masculinity mold.

“That entire sentence was frustrating.” 

Dex’s response made Nursey’s smile falter just a little bit, but Dex wasn’t even looking up. Somehow, Nursey managed to rebuild his own mask of chill before Dex looked up and looked directly into his eyes.

“Look, Nurse. I’m sure your friend is great, it’s just-” He broke off and glanced around before continuing in a lower voice, just between the three of them. “I’m gay, ok? So, I’d just rather not have a date for Screw. Don’t worry about finding me one.” 

Dex pressed his lips into a line and held Nursey’s eyes for another moment before standing up and taking his tray to the dish return. 

Somehow, some way, Nursey got himself together only a few seconds after Dex left and managed to run out of the dining hall after him. 

“Dex! Wait up.”

Dex must have been walking fairly slowly anyway, because it didn’t take much to catch up to him. Nursey wasn’t even out of breath or anything when Dex turned around.

“Look, Nurse. If you’re going to thank me for trusting you or whatever, don’t worry, it’s ‘chill’.”

“No. I mean, well, yeah. But actually…” Now that Dex was in front of him again, Nursey was starting to think this might not have been his best idea. But he’d already brushed off the out that Dex had so generously given him. Time to power through. He could do this. He was chill. He was a bad boy. “I wanted to say that I do still have someone in mind you might want to consider for a date. It doesn’t have to be for Winter Screw or anything. I, uh, kind of got the feeling you weren’t ready to tell the rest of the team.” 

Dex was watching him, his face still blank, like he expected some kind of trick. Nursey was pretty sure he hadn’t done something to deserve that look. It wasn’t like when he tried to distract Dex to steal part of his breakfast. Or when he instigated a wrestling match. They were just talking. Nursey was completely trustworthy when talking. 

“He’s, uh, really into poetry and he plays hockey.” It wasn’t his best line. Nursey felt lame, he was pretty sure Dex was going to chirp him and blow him off. Just because Dex was into dudes didn’t mean he was into Nursey. Or even guys like Nursey.

Dex continued looking at him with no change in his expression. “Poetry guy who plays hockey, huh?” 

“Ch’yeah.”

“What position does he play?”

Nursey wasn’t sure if Dex looked any different, more hopeful maybe, or if it was just wishful thinking on his part. “He’s a d-man.” 

Dex slowly nodded with the barest hint of a smile. “A d-man who’s a poetry guy. Ayuh, I’d go out with a guy like that.” 

“Sunday sound good?”

“Sunday’s my birthday.”

“Perfect then.” Nursey grinned until some random Wellie pushed between them, muttering about the hockey team. 

“I’ve got class so, uh, see you later?” Dex hitched his bag up on his shoulder. 

“Ch’yeah. Chill. You bet. See you later.” 

Dex headed across campus, turning to look back at him a couple of times, visibly smiling now. Nursey knew he did because Nursey didn’t stop watching him and grinning until he turned a corner around a building. 

He finally turned to head to his own class after that, pulling out his phone while he did. He had three days to plan the best Dex-Date possible.

* * *

Technically Nursey didn’t have enough knowledge about zoos to determine if Samwell Zoo was good or not. Technically, he’d been to both the Central Park Zoo and the Bronx Zoo, but to say that it had been a while was such an understatement that it probably qualified as an outright lie. But, in his completely unbiased and accurate opinion, Samwell Zoo was the sickest, chillest, most swawesome zoo in the world.

It might have something to do with the fact that Dex was next to him and sometimes their shoulders bumped together as they walked around to look at the animals. It might have something to do with the fact they had red pandas and Dex didn’t even try to drag him away when he kept watching them for a really long time. 

“That one’s you.” 

Nursey looked where Dex was pointing to see the red panda reared back on its hind legs. It toddled forward a few steps and then tilted over to grapple with another one of the pandas in a playful tussle. 

“Then I guess that other one is you.” Nursey bumped his shoulder against Dex’s while watching the two pandas grapple with each other.

He reached into his satchel and pulled out a drink and some chips. 

“Want some, Dexy?”

“Did you smuggle snacks into the zoo?”

“Ch’yeah.”

Dex was giving him an odd look, but accepted the drink. 

“What? The internet said food at these places is always way overpriced.” 

It was true. He’d looked it up and everyone seemed to agree that it was nearly as bad as amusement parks. Dex was weird about people spending money on him, so he’d figured that they’d eat at a dece casual place after the zoo and just snack on some smuggled goods until then.

“Ayuh. I guess so. I guess, I just figure, at least good zoos like this use it for taking care of the animals and stuff. You know? I don’t mind buying us some burgers here, if you’re hungry.” 

“First of all, Poindexter, I asked you out, so I’m buying. Second of all, this is only stage one of the date, so don’t worry about me being hungry. If you get hungry we can head to stage two. And third of all, you are correct about supporting zoos, so I’ll just be forced to buy you something expensive from the gift shop to remember this totally sick date by.” He slung his arm around Dex’s shoulders, half expecting Dex to tense slightly and shuffle a little away.

Instead, Dex seemed to melt into him as he relaxed and their bodies just fit together. Then Dex’s arm wrapped around his waist and Dex’s hand was on his hip and Samwell Zoo was definitely the best zoo in the entire _galaxy_.

“First of all, fine, this time. Second of all, I’ll let you know if I get hungry. And third of all, nope. Not happening.”

“It’s your birthday, Dex. A gift is appropriate.”

“You already paid for me to get into the zoo and are apparently planning to pay for food. That counts as a gift.”

“It doesn’t.”

“Anything you spend on me in the gift shop, I will match with a gift for you.”

Nursey pouted with a frown. “But it’s not my birthday.”

Dex’s arm moved against him as he shrugged.

Technically, he was pretty sure that the shop had items that he could afford and Dex couldn’t. Those places usually had a few things upwards of three or even four figures. But as he watched Dex watching the pandas, he was pretty sure that if he even got close to calling Dex’s bluff that he wouldn’t be lucky enough to get a second date. Buying something for Dex was about giving him a memento to remember the date by, not to win some stupid pissing contest.

“I am going to buy you something though.”

Dex hummed in response. “And I’ll buy you something.”

“And we’ll have matching somethings.”

“That’s the idea.”

“Oh.” He really wanted to kiss Dex for that, just a little thing on the cheek maybe. But it was too soon. “Chill.”


	2. Chapter 2

“No, Ma. That’s not-. He’s not-. Look, I’ll try, but no promises okay? I’ve gotta go. Love you, too.” 

Nursey hovered by the back door of the Haus until Dex shoved his phone back into a pocket and looked up. He found himself answering Dex’s smile with one of his own. “Everything chill in Poindexlandia?”

“Ayuh. You ready to head back to the dorms?”

“Ch’yeah. They already ate all of your mad delish pecan pie, so-.” He trailed off and shrugged. 

He’d hung back to give Dex some privacy when his mom called, but he hadn’t really expected there to be any of the pie left. It was too good. 

They fell in beside each other easily, shoulders bumping and knuckles brushing. 

Nursey tried to snatch glances at Dex from the corner of his eyes as they walked. That call hadn’t sounded like everything was perfectly okay. It sounded like there was something up. But he wasn’t sure he should press. Things were still new. They’d gone on a few dates, they hung out together more, but he wasn’t really sure what they were or where things were going. If he pushed he’d probably end up pushing Dex away. 

What was the point of giving Dex privacy for the call if he was just going to press for deets immediately afterward?

He managed to wait until they were back on campus before mentioning it. “You know, if things aren’t chill in Poindexlandia, you can talk to me about it.”

“Why wouldn’t things be chill?”

Nursey shrugged. “I wasn’t trying to drop eaves or anything, but it sounded like you were arguing.”

Dex rolled his eyes at the dropping eaves comment, but since he’d been the one to suggest the Lord of the Rings movie marathon, he’d have to live with the references. “It’s just-. I sent her the picture of all of us with my pie. And she asked about you. And Chowder. And I told her that you and I have been dating.”

“Oh.” He hadn’t expected that, but it did clarify who the _he_ had been. “Did it go badly?”

Dex hummed in response. “What would that sound like?”

“You know. Yelling. Slurs. Disinheriting.”

“Ah.”

They walked in silence for a few seconds. 

“In that case, it went the opposite of bad.”

The statement didn’t make sense, so he looked at Dex in confusion.

“She wants me to invite you to spend winter break in Maine.”

Nursey opened his mouth but no reply came out so he closed it again. 

What was he supposed to say? Dex hadn’t even come out to the team, or anyone other than him and C, as far as Nursey was aware. He hadn’t tried to push Dex because, well. They’d only been on a few dates. It had only been a month. He knew where he wanted the relationship to go, but that didn’t mean that’s where Dex wanted it to go. And pushing people to come out before they were ready never went well, in his experience.

“Hey, it’s chill, okay? I told her. Or I tried, but I’ll tell her. We haven’t been dating that long and you probably have plans and things you want to do. I don’t know why she thinks you’d want to spend the break with people you don’t know, during a holiday you don’t even celebrate, and missing your own holiday and traditions and stuff. It’s okay. It’s chill.”

“I want to.”

“You don’t have to go. Seriously, no pressure. I know it’s weird, being invited to meet my family and spend the break with us. It’s fine.”

“Poindexter, listen to me for a minute. If you don’t want me to spend the break with you, that’s chill. But if _you_ want me there, I want to go. I just-. IDK. I thought you wanted things on the DL. You aren’t out and everything’s mad secret, hush hush. So I was just surprised that you’d come out to her, that you told her that you’d been seeing me.”

Dex shot him a confused look. “I’ve been out to my ma for years, Nurse. My whole family knows I’m gay.”

It took a moment to realign his perception at that revelation. He’d thought Dex didn’t want anyone to know about his sexuality. But apparently-. “So, it’s just-.” 

He couldn’t say the last word. He couldn’t put voice to the fact that Dex didn’t want people to know that he was dating _him_.

“Ayuh. Just the team. It’s-.” Dex broke off again and ran a hand through his hair. “Samwell’s better than my high school team. But I’ve still got some anxiety related to hockey and being gay. And even the guys here seem to think that there’s only one way to be gay, and well, I’m not Bitty.” 

“Oh. Just the team? Not-.” He took a deep breath. “Not me?”

“You?”

“We don’t even hold hands in public, Poindexter. It just seemed like you didn’t want _anyone_ to know that we were together. Or like, dating, or seeing each other. Whatever we’re doing.”

Dex stopped walking, reaching for his hand as he did so that Nursey stopped with him. 

“Can I kiss you?”

Nursey blinked at him for a moment. They were in the middle of the quad. It was Thanksgiving, sure, but there were still people around. Not all of them so far away that they wouldn’t know what was happening.

“Ch’yeah.”

Dex’s lips still tasted faintly of the pie he’d eaten at the Haus. Apple. He hadn’t even eaten any of his own pecan pie. 

Nursey’d expected a quick peck perhaps, maybe something a bit more than that, but still, circumspect, quick, easily missed or overlooked. 

He didn’t expect Dex’s hand on his jaw and on his hip, easing him into position, pulling their bodies together. 

He didn’t expect Dex’s slightly gnawed lips to open under his, or the sweep of Dex’s tongue as he opened in response. 

He didn’t expect the kiss to last nearly so long as it did. 

Minutes passed before Dex ended the kiss without pulling away, instead tilting his head so that their foreheads pressed together. 

He could hear Dex swallow, feel the slight pull of his skin with the motion as he prepared himself to speak.

“I’m not-. I don’t-.” Dex started twice, breaking off both times before taking another deep breath. “I’m not loud about my feelings. And I know that you _can’t_ be, but you would, if you didn’t have to keep things under Chill. But I don’t always remember that, in the moment.”

Dex pulled away, standing back up and lacing their fingers together. “I’m not trying to hide you. I don’t want to hide you. Unless you want to be.”

Nursey held onto Dex’s hand more firmly. That last comment had sounded like he might try to pull away, second guessing again. “Chill. I don’t want to hide you either. I get it about the team. It’s chill. But uh-.” He broke off and licked his lips. “If you aren’t trying to keep things on the DL, do you want to be my boyfriend? Like, exclusive and official and shit?”

The corner of Dex’s mouth lifted in a tiny smile before he responded. “Ayuh. Exclusive and official and shit sounds wicked great.”


	3. Chapter 3

They arrived at Dex’s house mid-afternoon. Somehow it took both less and more time to get there from Samwell than Nursey’d expected. 

Dex let them into the house, then disappeared up a set of stairs with all their bags. Before Nursey could follow, Dex’s mom appeared and held her arms open to offer a hug, which he accepted. 

“Derek. I’m so glad you’ve joined us. You must be starved from the trip.” 

She led the way into a small kitchen, then continued talking over her shoulder while looking through the old refrigerator.

“Will tells me that you’re a poet? And a writer? Are you planning to do something with that after college? Or is it more of a hobby? I know you’re on the team with him. Are you also an NHL hopeful?”

It occurred to Nursey that he should have found out from Dex if his mom would be offended if he turned down food. He knew that some people were. Was it more polite to decline to be a bother, or to accept the hospitality? They’d eaten on the way up, so he wasn’t extremely hungry, but he was also an athlete and could still eat _something_. 

She turned and looked at him with raised brows and he realized that she’d asked him questions and he hadn’t responded.

“Oh, ch’yeah. I’m actually not planning for the NHL. I was eligible for the draft last summer, but-.” He shrugged. “I probably wouldn’t have signed a contract even if I was drafted. Hockey’s fun but it’s not my passion.” 

“And writing is?”

_Dex is._

He didn’t say it. It was both true and not true. He was pretty sure that he was in love with Dex, but he had other passions, other plans, other goals. 

“Yeah. It’s-. You know, it can be hard to find stories, books or tv or movies, that express how I felt growing up. Even now. And I have all these thoughts and emotions and just _stories_ in my head and I feel like I need to write them down and share them.” He shrugged. “It’s mad weird. I guess, I just need to feel like I’m seen, and if I can share stories that are part of me, then maybe I can do that. And maybe they will help other people feel like they’ve found someone who understands them, too.”

“A worthwhile endeavor. And you’ll be doing this in New York?” Dex’s mom was not looking at him. She was still pulling items out of the refrigerator and cupboards. 

He still felt pinned. 

“Ma. You invited him as a guest, not to be interrogated. He’s got three years to figure out where he wants to write from, even if it _is_ in New York.” Dex’s hand squeezed his shoulder as he walked by on his way to give his mom a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “And you don’t need to feed him. We ate on the way up. I’m going to take him down to Dan’s store with me and we can pick up Italians for dinner tonight.”

She looked up at Dex and Nursey was relieved to not be the one under that considering gaze. “Is my cooking not good enough for your boyfriend?”

Dex grinned - well, he had an actual full smile which was grinning for him - and gave her another one armed squeeze. “I’m trying to keep him from realizing how much better your cooking is than mine. I’ve got him convinced I’m good at it.”

Then he met Nursey’s gaze and dropped a wink and Nursey thought he might melt through the kitchen chair. All he could manage was a half smile in return. 

“Unless you want to stay here. Ma will _probably_ play nice.”

She poked Dex in the ribs. “I’m just looking out for my baby. You don’t need to bring me anything if you two want to make the rounds, I can manage to feed myself. But I’ve got work in the morning, so don’t stay up too late.” 

He followed Dex out to the truck, but Dex didn’t start it right away. “I’m sorry about that. And for dragging us back out. You probably want to rest after traveling. And I could check with Dan by the phone, but I couldn’t think of anything else to get her to stop.”

Nursey scooted over to the middle of the old bench seat and laced his fingers through Dex’s where they were resting on his leg. “I’m fine for awhile. Would have said otherwise. Your mom is mad intense.”

“Ayuh. Sorry. I didn’t expect her to go full FTG first thing or I wouldn’t have left you alone.”

He reached up and used a knuckle to pull Dex’s face around where he could press a kiss to his lips. “It’s chill. I can handle myself.” 

Nursey’s brain clicked as Dex’s words caught up to him. “Wait, FTG?”

“Fucking Terrifying Goalie.”

“I know what it means, Poindexter. Why did you use it for your mom?”

Dex closed his eyes and bit his lip. “I forgot to warn you that Ma was a goalie.”

“Wait, was that about to be a shovel talk?” He wasn’t sure what he thought of that prospect. On the one hand, shovel talks weren’t really something he supported. On the other hand, he’d never had someone give him a shovel talk. On a third hand, he wasn’t sure he wanted to receive one from a white woman, even if she was Jewish. On a fourth hand (he’d just decided he’d borrow Dex’s hands for this), it was nice to think that he wasn’t the only one invested in Dex not being hurt.

“No! It was-.” Dex broke off and looked away, his cheeks already turning pink. 

“What, Dexily?”

“I mean, it’s no big deal. We’ve only been dating a couple of months. So, like, don’t think I’m trying to push. It’s chill, right?”

“Spit it out.”

“She was like, trying to ask your _intentions_. Like, basically being really invasive about if this is casual or whatever. And it’s none of her business. We’re eighteen. We still have three and a half years of college. There’s no ru-.”

Nursey pulled Dex back in for another kiss, this time sliding his hand around from Dex’s jaw to his hair, and opening his lips so that he could press his tongue into Dex’s mouth and swallow the words that had been flowing out. After a few seconds, he pulled away just enough to disengage their mouths enough to talk, but kept his hand in Dex’s hair and their foreheads pressed together. 

“It’s fine. This isn’t casual for me unless you want it to be. Now, you promised to show me around your hometown and introduce me to the rest of Poindexlandia?”

Dex moved forward just enough to press another quick kiss to his lips. “Not casual sounds good to me. But you have to put on your seatbelt before I’m driving anywhere.”

The pout that formed was automatic, but Dex just pulled back and raised an eyebrow at him.

“I just said that I wanted you to be around awhile.”

“You drive a hard bargain, Dexy.”

“So I’ve been told.” 

True to his threat, he waited until Nursey moved back over to his seat and the seatbelt was clicked in place before putting the truck in gear and backing out of the driveway.

* * *

The town was extremely small, so it didn’t take very long before they were pulling into a parking space near what must pass for “downtown” or maybe “main street”. The storefronts were all simple, but the one that Dex took him to was well kept with an interesting display window. Well, as interesting as a display of appliances and tools could be. 

The guy behind the counter looked younger than they were, and was engrossed in his phone when they walked in.

“Hey Alex. Dan here?”

“Ayuh. In the back with Dad and Chaim and them. Working on the schedule.” Alex looked up from his phone finally. “Wait, are you going to be working this weekend? There’s a party and if they can cover maybe they’ll let me go.”

“Maybe you should pay attention while working instead of texting your friends.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “No one’s in the store.”

“We could have been customers.”

“Weren’t.”

Nursey watched Dex shake his head and tried to hide a smile. It was nice to know that he wasn’t the only one trying to get Dex to lighten up a little. 

The “employees only” door in the back of the store led to a short hall with four more doors. The first one on the left was open, revealing a small kitchenette and an old card table with folding chairs. A break room maybe.

He wasn’t sure what was on the right because Dex pushed open the second door on the left and gestured him in. It was a small office, barely enough space for the desk and chairs and row of filing cabinets, much less the number of men currently in it. 

“Will! We were just wondering when you were going to get into town.” 

The man in the chair behind the desk was older, but not old. Middle aged maybe? The two in the chairs opposite were older. Retirement age, Nursey would have guessed. And then there was another man about his mom’s age sitting on the edge of the desk. 

“About now. Just showing Derek around and thought we’d stop in to see if you needed me to work over break.” Dex paused for barely a second.

“Derek, meet Uncle Chaim and Uncle Levi. They’re ma’s uncles.” He indicated the older men in front of the desk who both nodded at Nursey as their names were given. 

“Dan is Chaim’s son, so technically a cousin of some sort.”

The man behind the desk smiled at him. “Good to meet you.”

“And Ben is ma’s brother. Oh, and Alex is his son, so another cousin. Everyone, this is Derek.”

Nursey smiled and nodded at them all, making the correct polite sounds of greeting.

They started talking again, about who could handle repairs in the store and who could do house calls and who could cover the cash register. Things that Nursey didn’t have any opinion on since he wasn’t familiar with all the names and didn’t know who did what anyway. 

Mostly, it was nice to see Dex relaxed. He hadn’t realized how on edge Dex was at Samwell. 

No, that wasn’t true. He knew Dex was on edge at Samwell, he’d just assumed it was Dex’s natural state. Apparently, he was wrong and Dex was at ease in his natural habitat of a hardware store. 

His hands itched to reach out for Dex, to touch him. Nursey hooked his thumbs in the sides of his back pockets to keep from giving in to the urge. 

Dex might be comfortable with his family, but he’d also just introduced him as “Derek.” Not “my boyfriend, Derek.” Just “Derek.” Which was fine. Dex had told his ma. Dex didn’t try to hide him at Samwell. Dex was allowed to come out at his own pace. 

Dex turned and gave him a concerned look while reaching out a hand for his arm. 

It was a signal they’d developed. That might have been giving it too much credit. Grabby hands weren’t exactly covert, but still. They’d agreed that they could reach for each other when they needed contact or reassurance or whatever. 

It had just almost always been Nursey reaching for Dex. He felt more comfortable in his skin when he could touch his boyfriend. He didn’t think that was a crime.

But now Dex was reaching for him, so he took his hand and slotted into place against Dex’s back with his arms wrapped around his waist.

“You okay?” Dex’s voice was low, quiet, just between the two of them.

“Ch’yeah. I’m chill.” He squeezed Dex’s waist in reassurance and just because he could.

“If you’re sure. But, if something’s up, you can tell me.”

Nursey’s breath caught and he took a moment to recenter himself with a few deep breaths. It was very calming because his nose was pretty much buried in Dex’s hair and each breath was filled with the scent of _Dex_ and his shampoo. “Just didn’t want to make anyone uncomfy.”

“So, tell me Derek.” It was the man on the end of the desk, Ben, who pulled him out of the private conversation and into the main one. “Do you take your latkes with sour cream, like a sensible man, or applesauce?”

Nursey blinked for a moment considering. “Uh, chill. Haven’t had them yet, but sour cream is the superior texture, so I’m probably that.”

Ben grinned in response while the rest of the group groaned. “See? A man of refinement and taste. Finally, someone else who knows what’s good.”

Dex squeezed his hand before he started speaking. “Anyway, I’ll be happy to make latkes for reasonable people who eat them with applesauce. Anyone who wants to defile them with sour cream can make their own.”

Dan, Chaim, and Levi started laughing and slapping thighs at that.

“You say that every year, Will.” Ben shook his head. “But this year I know you’ll give in.”

Ben stood up and walked past them toward the door, pausing to clap Nursey’s shoulder. “Thanks for taking my side. It’ll make the argument much easier to win.”

They left shortly after Ben, Dex tucking a paper with his tentative schedule into his pocket as they went. Nursey’d almost offered to work as well until he realized that he hadn’t worked a cash register before, and he was pretty sure that suggesting it couldn’t be too difficult would be a _bad move_.

* * *

By the time Dex had shown him around the area and they’d eaten dinner, it was dark. It wasn’t late by most measures of the word. But it was winter and it got dark early. And they’d been up early for the trip. So he didn’t argue when Dex suggested they call it an early night.

He also hadn’t stopped touching Dex and holding onto him since the shop, except when absolutely necessary to release Dex’s hand for steering or eating purposes. During those times he settled for a hand on Dex’s thigh, which was also very nice. When they returned to the house, Dex was holding his hand, and he seemed content to continue doing so as he headed upstairs, so Nursey followed.

The room that Dex led him to was small, barely big enough for the double bed and small desk. There were a few personal items that made it clear this was Dex’s room, not a guest room. Still, their bags were tucked up against what must have been the closet and Dex was shutting the door behind them. There wasn’t a cot or air mattress, or really space for one.

“Chill. Where am I sleeping?”

Dex turned to him with an odd look and then gestured to the bed. “In my bed?”

“Then where will you sleep?” There was no way that Nursey was letting Dex give up his bed for a couch or something. He’d figure something else out.

“Also in my bed? Babe, come here.” Dex seemed to soften, though the frown didn’t disappear. Instead he led Nursey the few steps to the bed and waited for him to sit down before caressing his cheek. “What’s up? I know you said you were chill. But, at the shop you didn’t even try to touch me, and you _always_ touch me even at the Haus and practice and stuff, there’s always at least a little contact. And now the bed-. If you don’t want to share a bed with me, I’ll figure something else out, I just figured we’ve slept in the same bed before so it wouldn’t be an issue. But, did I do something? Did my family? Did I miss them saying something? I’ll talk to them. Or we can leave. Whatever-.”

Nursey reached up and covered Dex’s mouth with his hand, prompting Dex to lick it immediately. But it served the purpose, so he just wiped the spit onto Dex’s shirt. “They didn’t say anything wrong. It was chill. I just, I didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. You deserve to come out on your own terms, so it’s chill. I’m not trying to pressure you.”

“Ayuh. And I appreciate that. But I’m out to my family.”

He swallowed and focused on Dex’s sternum, since it was about eye level anyway. “You introduced me as Derek.”

“That _is_ your name.”

“Not as your boyfriend.”

Dex huffed out a laugh as he relaxed, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to Nursey’s lips, which Nursey’s body annoyingly chased after. “Only because it would have been redundant. They’re all aware that I’m dating Derek. Most of them probably looked you up on the team website. I’m sorry. I didn’t think of how it would look to you. I love you. I am not trying to hide you. I-.” 

He broke off and Nursey pulled on his arm until they were both lying on the bed, wrapped in each other with their feet hanging off the edge. “It’s ok.”

“No. I wish I could be sure on hockey. I know I’m lucky because it’s safe for me to be out to my family, but yeah. Hockey is hockey.”

“Chill, Poindexter. Being closeted isn’t the same as hiding me. I just didn’t want to mess things up for you and out you or something.” 

“I love you.” Dex captured his lips in another brief kiss, then another, before settling into the cuddle.

“So, sharing a bed in your mom’s house, huh?”

“Ayuh. Unless you don’t want to.”

“Didn’t figure it would be an option. Your mom knows we’re dating, right?”

Dex’s body shook with laughter in his arms. “Ayuh. She’s aware. Probably why she expected us to share a bed.”

“Are you saying she’s chill with us _sleeping together_ in your childhood bedroom?”

Dex pulled back to meet his eyes with that half smile that he got sometimes. “As long as we’re quiet. Why did you think she warned us about her early shift tomorrow? She doesn’t want us to wake her up.”

“Chill.” Nursey’s brain started pinging like a pinball machine. He hadn’t even considered that an option, but now apparently it was. 

Then Dex’s lips were on his nose, and then his lips. “I mean, it’s not like we have to. But I do like sharing a bed with you, so if you’re still into that-.”

“Oh yeah. Chill. I’m into that. Very. Lots. It’s mad great.”

The pad of Dex’s thumb was soft over his jaw. “I love you.” 

Then he moved away and pulled himself back into a seated position. “Maybe we should finish getting ready and actually do the bed sharing thing, though?”

“Ch’yeah.” Nursey grabbed Dex’s hand before he could stand to get him to look back again. “Hey, babe? I love you, too.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Chill, so _why_ are we standing on the soccer field with a bunch of other people?” 

Nursey had tried to just wait it out and have faith in Dex’s plan when Dex had shown up and told him it was time for their date, but he hadn’t expected to be standing in the snow with an entire group of people.

Dex responded by wrapping his arm around Nursey’s shoulders and pulling him close. “Because this is our Valentine’s Date.” 

The look that Nursey shot Dex from the side of his eyes was dubious, but he was resigned to waiting a bit longer for an actual explanation.

“Or, at least, the first part of it. Tonight’s game means we’ll have to do the dinner portion later.”

“There doesn’t have to be a dinner portion later.”

Dex just hummed in response. 

“Hey everyone! Welcome to the annual SWS Valentine’s Day Couple’s Snowman Building Competition! Please form a line to check in with and then you’ll be randomly assigned a grid zone for your snow sculptures and a tote of accessories to use as you see fit. For fairness, everyone gets the same accessories in the totes. Thank you all so much for signing up for this event!”

“Snowman building competition?”

“Ayuh. Apparently they do this every year to raise money for local youth teams.” 

“Oh. Chill.”

Dex did have to remove his arm from Nursey’s shoulders to take the storage tote full of accessories to their assigned area, but that was ok. He didn’t complain at all when Nursey snuck a hand into his back pocket as compensation. 

Once they were at their spot and waiting for everyone else to get checked in and settled, Nursey figured it was prime brainstorming time. And also assessing the competition. He didn’t see anyone else from the hockey team, which wasn’t surprising since they didn’t get invited to a lot of the inter-team events. He did think he recognized someone from one of his classes with her girlfriend as they headed to one of the grid locations.

“So, what are we thinking? Classic? Dinosaur? Calvin and Hobbes-esque invasion of the tiny snowmen?”

“Might depend on what’s in the accessories tote. Any of those sound good. Maybe a snow-zilla on a rampage over a group of fleeing tiny snow people?”

“This is why _you’re_ my lover in the nighttime.” Nursey grinned as Dex rolled his eyes.

So far, Dex hadn’t managed to actually hurt himself from rolling his eyes when Nursey said that, which sounded like a perfectly reasonable indication that Nursey was under no obligation to stop saying it. 

Plus, Dex really needed to know how much Nursey loved his combination of Nursey’s ideas. This is why they were great line partners, great boyfriends, and great lovers in the nighttime. They made each other better.

“Okay, everyone ready? 3! 2! 1! Build your snowmen!” The announcement came over an electric megaphone and as soon as the countdown was over, everyone started scrambling to begin their creations.

Dex was methodical, so Nursey wasn’t surprised when he squatted down to look in the tote for what accessories were available. 

Which made his coat and flannel gap a bit at the neck.

In Nursey’s defense, it would have actually been a crime if he hadn’t scooped up the handful of snow and dropped it down the gap.

“Ahh! Nurse.” Dex’s back arched beautifully as he turned to glare at him. 

Nursey’s laughter was cut short by Dex’s well aimed snowball hitting him in the cheek. 

He was delighted. Dex responding in kind was the absolute _best_ possible outcome when Nursey flirted with him playfully like this. 

It was also implicit permission for him to up the stakes.

So, he body checked Dex into the snow. It wasn’t a hard hit, and Dex was still squatting, so it wasn’t like he had far to fall. And he very nicely broke Nursey’s fall as he landed on top of Dex, their faces close together, and Nursey’s heart beating wildly in his throat.

“Nurse, as much as I enjoy this, maybe be careful about the knocking into the ground? I don’t want you to get hurt if you fall.”

“Pssh. I’m fine, Dex.”

“Ayuh. This time. But if you end up hitting the ground first, maybe you won’t be.”

“And we have a game. I know.”

“No, and then you’ll be sore and it won’t be nearly as much fun to end up in this position _after_ the game when we’re somewhere warm and comfortable and can enjoy the cuddles.”

“Why do you always have to be so reasonable?”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you aren’t. You say that, but you’re going to keep right on being reasonable and making good points.” He let his head drop to capture Dex’s lips in a soft, slow kiss. “Well, as long as there’s the potential for continuing this tonight some place warm, I suppose I can try to avoid ending up horizontal in the snow again.”

The corner of Dex’s mouth pulled into his crooked smile. “Cool. Because right now we’re giving the other teams an advantage by using our competition time for kissing.”

“It’s a good use of time.”

“An excellent use of time. Not one that will win the competition. Do you want someone else to have the title of Best Couple Snow Sculptors?”

The worst part about dating his line partner was that Dex was competitive, and was well aware that Nursey was just as competitive. And there was no way anyone was better as a couple than them. On any metric. Which meant that they needed to stop cuddling in the snow and prove it.

He pushed himself to his feet and then held out a hand to help Dex up. “Come on, Babe. Let’s show everyone who’s the best couple with the best ideas.”

* * *

Nursey entered the dressing room after the game feeling triumphant. They’d won. His boyfriend had given him an assist on getting another goal. It was pretty great.

Sure, they hadn’t gotten Chowder another shutout like the night before. And Jack had only gotten two goals instead of a hattie. But still.

“Pretty great birthday game.”

Dex’s head slowly turned from where he’d been removing his skates to look at Nursey. “What?”

“Ch’yeah. Thanks for the assist, Poindexter.” He knocked his shoulder into Dex’s. “Sweet birthday present to help me get a goal.”

“Of course. Of course.” 

Dex was focused back on removing his skates and getting dressed, but there was no real reason for Nursey to not bask in the feeling a bit. 

“Why is Dex ‘of coursing’?” Chowder dropped onto the bench of the goalie cubby next to him to start de-marshmallowing.

“Because today,” he paused to grin, “is my birthday.”

Dex seemed to speed up on changing and rush through his shower.

“You in a hurry, Poindexter? Got a hot date?”

The full force eye contact was a bit unexpected as Dex leaned close and spoke softly. “Of course, you didn’t warn me that it was your birthday, so now I have almost no time to make the last three hours of the day as great as the birthday date that you took me on. Which is an extremely unfair advantage for you, and probably constitutes cheating.”

“It doesn’t have to be a competition, Dexy.”

He was lying. It was absolutely a competition and he had gotten a really high score on being a great boyfriend with their first date. The problem was that Dex kept getting high scores a bunch of other times. Nursey _had_ to sandbag him to make it fair.

“Look, just give me like, an hour, to get things set up at your dorm.”

“Sure.” 

Just under two hours later, they were cuddled together in Nursey’s dorm. The takeout containers from dinner pushed out of the door of the blanket fort that Dex had built, and the soft glow of fairy lights and artificial candles caressing the planes of Dex’s chest beneath Nursey’s head. They had the right idea, so Nursey ran his hand over the soft skin as well. 

They’d stopped kissing for a few moments, just resting in each other’s arms. 

Well, Dex was still kissing Nursey, random sweet little kisses dropped onto his hair, his forehead, his nose, his hands. 

“Thank you for this wonderful date. You didn’t have to do all this, though. I didn’t even get to give you any Valentine’s Day Date things.”

“Disagree. You gave me a wonderful day with my boyfriend.” The pads of his fingers trailing over Nursey’s bare back sent small shivers over his skin, almost tickling. “And nearly a heart attack by springing the birthday situation on me at the last minute.”

“Hmm. I knew whatever you did would be mad amazing now matter what. And I was right. This was perfect.” He lifted his head just enough so that he could press a kiss, a real full kiss, to Dex’s mouth. 

The blanket fort was more than he’d ever imagined really. Comfortable and cozy and a perfectly sized little retreat for just the two of them to be wrapped in their own little world. 

“Well, since you didn’t say anything until all the stores that were still open would be completely picked over and I didn’t have time to make you much of anything, most of your birthday present will have to be given to you tomorrow.”

“I love my fancy paper origami crane family. But I guess I _do_ also appreciate half price candy.”

“I’m not giving you discount Valentine’s Day candy for your birthday, Nurse.”

That prompted a full pouting frown. Nothing had prepared Nursey for this kind of cruelty from Dex.

“Fine. I’m not giving you _only_ discount candy for your birthday.”

He settled back in with a smile. He could deal with compromise. “Chill. I’ve got a Valentine’s Day present for you. But I don’t want to leave the fort to get it.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything. But your present is also out there. We can do that later.” 

Nursey hummed happily in agreement. “Hey Dexy?”

“Yeah?”

“How’d you get to be so soft and sweet and kind?”

Dex’s snort made his chest bounce, and Nursey pressed his hand against it until it stilled.

“I’m nothing special, Nurse.”

“Sounds fake.”

“Just some guy.”

“Still fake, but since you’re avoiding the question, how’d I get mad lucky and get you as a boyfriend?”

There was a long pause while Dex hummed in consideration. “Definitely all because you didn’t trip when you ran after me that one breakfast.”

“Chill. I thought it was because of the red panda stuffy I bought you at the zoo.”

“Well, there’s also that.” Dex’s knuckle under Nursey’s chin drew his face up until Dex could press another sweet kiss to his lips.

Nursey rolled until he could deepen the kiss.

Dex might believe that he was just some guy, but Nursey knew the truth. Dex was his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to include the fact that, unfortunately, Nursey and Dex did not win the snowman building competition. They were disqualified for using unauthorized accessories after Nursey insisted on adding Dex's flannel and his own scarf to the snow-zilla in order to make it a hipster snow-zilla.


End file.
